Zorba: Is Antonio Banderas to star in revival?

Michael Riedel of the New York Post reports that Antonio Banderas is to star in a Broadway revival of the musical Zorba expected during the 2010/11 season.

Banderas, a Spanish actor/director/singer made his Broadway debut when he starred as 'Guido Contini' in the 2003 Broadway revival of 'Nine,' for which he received excellent reviews and a Tony nomination.

Banderas is a well known Hollywood actor having starred in over 40 Hollywood movies such as 'The Legend of Zorro,' 'The Mask of Zorro,' 'Assassins,' 'Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles.' Banderas starred alongside Madonna in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical 'Evita.'

The Ebb and Kander musical, adapted from the novel 'Zorba the Greek' by Nikos Kazantzakis, focuses on the friendship that evolves between 'Zorba' and 'Nikos,' a young American who has inherited an abandoned mine on Crete, and their romantic relationships with a local widow and a French woman, respectively.

Zorba first played on Broadway in 1968 and starred Herschel Bernardi as 'Zorba,' it was revived in 1983 with Anthony Quinn in the starring role.

Joseph Stein who wrote the book for the musical told the New York Post, "Herschel was very honest in the part. You believed him as 'Zorba.' Tony was a little flamboyant and self-centered. The guy was a star and he knew it. People wanted his autograph. Antonio Banderas is, of course, much younger than Herschel and Tony were, and we'll have to make some adjustments [in the show] to that. But he will bring his own wonderful personality to it."

Although there has been no official confirmation it is reported that Banderas will be in New York next week to meet John Kander and Joseph Stein (Fred Ebb died in 2004.)

According to Riedel, Gary Griffin (The Color Purple) will direct and Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) will choreograph. Producers Fran and Barry Weissler are said to be out and about raising money for the production.